Introduction: Fishpond may be best known
for their fly fishing vests and packs but they also offer a pair of premium
pliers that is designed for both fresh and saltwater fishing applications. We
take a look at their premium Barracuda pliers to see if this is the one pair of
pliers we have been looking for that can “do it all.”

About Fishpond: If
you are a bass fisherman you may not have heard of Fishpond, but if your first
love is fly fishing you have no doubt encountered a Fishpond product. The
company is based in Silverthorne Colorado and is best known for their soft
goods. Fishpond’s packs, vests, and luggage make use of a dynamic blend of
colors and materials that remind me of the many brilliant colors of fall. The
company states “we thrive on creating new products that exceed customer
expectations. We're committed to being on the cutting-edge. We're driven by
design.” In addition to soft goods Fishpond also makes tools and accessories,
most of which are once again aimed at fly anglers.

Ready for a pair of premium
pliers? Fishpond offers the Barracuda

Impressions: The Fishpond
Barracuda pliers are one of the products that Fishpond makes that is not
designed solely for fly fisherman. They created these pliers from the ground up
and they are designed for a wide range of environments ranging from freshwater
rivers to even saltwater.

The Barracuda Pliers comes bundled
with this excellent molded sheath

Pliers are among the most
often used tools of anglers, and can be used for everything from cutting lines
to tuning tackle, and dislodging hooks from caught fish. No Bass angler’s
arsenal is complete without a trusty pair of pliers, and being caught without a
pair can even mean death for a deep hooked fish. I recently expanded my quest
for a new pair of pliers after I spent the day testing numerous reels loaded
with braided lines. My Rapala Stainless Steel pliers were having difficulty
cutting through the lines, I found myself pressing exceedingly hard to cut
through 20lb braid. Scissors cut through braid better than just about any pair
of pliers but unless I am on the boat it is unlikely that I will be carrying
both pliers and scissors, so it is nice to have a pair of pliers able to fulfill
both applications.

Fishpond is best known for their
excellent soft goods which include fly vests and packs

I went online to Bass Pro and
procured the Fishpond Barracuda to see how these pliers would perform as a more
rounded tool. The Barracuda is available in four different colors (gunmetal,
cutthroat orange, Aqua Blue, Lichen) all of which match their lineup of vests
and packs. The pliers come with a sheath that also shares the same bright colors
and unique design found on Fishpond’s other products.

The Barracuda is machined out of
aerospace grade aluminum

Real World Test: To
test the Barracuda we first used them in their primary application as pliers for
fly-fishing, then in a saltwater inshore environment, and finally bass fishing.
The tests spanned a five month period and took us to locations including the
Truckee River and Clear Lake.

A look at the working end shows
the flat ended jaws

Operation: Nobody
needs a manual when it comes to operating pliers, yet each pair has a distinct
feel and some are unquestionably easier to use than others. The Barracuda
started things right with a spring loaded design. Pliers that have a spring of
some sort are easier to operate quickly. There is no need to use your fingers to
open the pliers before closing the jaws, however if the spring design is not
durable this is an extra element that can fail.

The Barracuda also comes armed
with stainless steel cutters

The Barracuda is machined out
of aerospace grade aluminum and weighed in at 4.8oz in our lab without the
sheath (.2oz lighter than Fishpond’s published spec), and 7.4oz loaded into the
sheath. The pliers are slightly longer than 7 inches in length, and is machined
to be ergonomic and comfortable in hand. For reference the largest Abel plier is
6.5 inches in length and weighs in at 4.1oz. The Barracuda feels light and there
is a loop at the end of the handle to attach the lanyard which then attaches to
the sheath. Nothing is worse than losing your pliers to the lake or ocean (I’ve
actually done it twice) and Fishpond’s implementation is quick and simple yet
secure.

We found the flat ended jaws to be
ok for tuning larger lures, but difficult to use for small lures and hooks

Opening and closing the jaws
is easy but there is one thing to watch out with on this design. On some of the
other pliers like the simple Rapala Stainless Steel Pliers or the 7” Van Staal
models there are small extending tabs at the top of the handles so your hands
don’t creep up the tool to the joint. On the Barracuda the handle leads right up
to the joint and if you are not paying attention and your hand moves too far up
it is actually possible to pinch yourself where the handles meet in the closed
position. After the first time (ouch) I was very careful to keep my hands
towards the lower end of the handles.

Securing the Barracuda to the
holster is a bundled lanyard

One of the first things we
noted about the operating side of the pliers was that the end of the jaws is
wide rather than pointed. This surprised us as the flat head made it more
difficult to pick up very small objects like flies. We would normally use clamps
to pick up flies, but a sharp pair of pliers can also do this. The flat head
also made it difficult to bend down barbs on small hooks. On the plus side this
flat head actually is very good in saltwater applications where the flat head
made it easier to put leverage on large hooks and rotate them out of hooked
fish. The same can be said about large hooks and bass.

On the other side the lanyard
connects to the handle

When it comes to features the
Barracuda doesn’t have as many operational aspects as even some of the simplest
pliers. Missing is the split shot crimper and split ring nose. Many premium
pliers like those from Van Staal and Abel also do not have a split ring nose,
but we would like to see this option offered on the Barracuda as well as the
others. This would extend the pliers use in salt and bass fishing where it is
necessary to occasionally change out hooks. Because it is possible to change out
the steel jaws on the pliers it wouldn’t be difficult to sell different types of
jaws including pointed, or split ring styles.

We found the cutters very good for
cutting mono and fluorocarbon lines